Swinging gate



Dec. 20, 1955 w. H. KOCH ETAL 2,727,323

SWINGING GATE Original Filed Aug. 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 20, 1955 w. H. KOCH ETAL 2,727,323

swmcmc GATE Original Filed Aug. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SWINGING GATE :William H. Koch, Minneapolis, and Ernest Strum, North St. Paul, Minn; said Strum assignor to said Koch Original application August 3, 1949, Serial No. 103,242, now Patent No. 2,629,191, dated February 24, 1953. Divided and this application January 22, 1953, Serial No. 332,589

6 Claims. (Cl. 3955) This invention relates to fence gates and particularly to bumper gates which can be actuated by bumping a vehicle against the gate. More particularly, it relates to a novel manner for mounting such a gate to insure that the gate will automatically close after it has been opened.

This application is a division of our prior application filed August 3, 1949, Serial No. 108,242 and entitled Bump Gate. In the prosecution of our prior application we were required to divide that application and we elected to prosecute the bumper and latch mechanism for the gate disclosed herein. This previous application has since matured into Patent No. 2,629,191.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide a novel and improved bumper gate of cheap and simple construction which can be employed in a fence line and which will normally be latched shut to prevent stock from passing through the fence line but which can be actuated by a vehicle through a bump imparted by the vehicle to the gate to unlatch the gate and swing the same to an open position to permit the vehicle to pass through the fence line without necessitating the occupant of the vehicle getting out of the vehicle to operate the latching mechanism and which will thereafter automatically return to closed position.

A more specific object is to provide a swinging gate suspended in a novel manner so that without the use of springs the gate when swung to an open position will automatically return to a closed position.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved mounting structure for a swinging gate to suspend the gate so that it will automatically close itself after having been opened, the suspension structure being extremely simple in construction and installation.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved mounting structure for a swinging gate, the suspension structure being arranged in such a manner as to have a minimum of parts and to require a minimum of material to manufacture such parts.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved mounting structure for a swinging gate, the suspension structure of which is very simple and cheap to manufacture and operate.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more full appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a gate embodying the invention, the gate being shown closed in full lines and with an automobile approaching one side of the gate, and the gate being shown in dotted lines in swung open position;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the gate illustrated in Fig. l, the gate being closed;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2 as indicated by the arrows;

" springs and without the use of a Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 as indicated by the arrows and showing certain portions of the mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a view on a still larger scale taken as in the case of Fig. 3 but showing certain of the parts in a different position than as shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a view in enlarged scale looking toward the left side of the latch keeper as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Referring to the drawings, there are shown portions of a fence 8, the two ends of which are connected respectively to a fixed post 9 mounted in the ground and a latch post 10 also mounted in the ground at a point spaced from the post 9 sufficient for the convenient travel of vehicles such as the automobile A between the two posts 9 and 10. Mounted alongside the post 9 is another post 11 running to a considerably greater height than the post 9, and the post 11 is sometimes hereafter referred to as a pivot post and sometimes hereafter referred to as a gate hanging post.

There is provided a gate frame including a pair of vertically spaced horizontal bars 12 connected to a pair of spaced vertical bars 13 and 14 respectively whereby a gate frame of rectangular shape is produced. The swinging end of the gate frame may be considered to be the end where the vertical bar 14 is located, while the pivot end of the gate frame may be considered to be the end where the vertical bar 13 is located.

Connected to the pivot end of the gate frame are a pair of vertically spaced collars 15 which loosely encircle the pivot post 11 so that the gate frame may freely swing around the pivot post 11 about the central vertical axis of the post. At the same time the collars 15 will be free to ride upwardly and downwardly on the post 11 during this swinging movement. In spaced relation toward the vertical bar 14 from the vertical bar 13 an upwardly projecting lug 16 is mounted on the top horizontal bar 12 of the gate frame and connected at its lower end to this lug 16 is a chain 17 or equivalent flexible supporting member. The upper end of the chain 17 is secured as by a bolt 18 to the pivot postll well above the level of the gate frame and at a point eccentric to the pivotal axis about which the gate frame swings and disposed at the side of the pivot post 11 toward the latch post 10. Accordingly, the gate frame will assume its lowest position when the gate frame is located as shown in full lines in Fig. l and as also shown in Fig. 2 with the gate frame disposed between the two posts 11 and 10 so that the bar 14 of the gate frame is adjacent the latching post 10. In other words, this lowest position of the gate frame will be assumed when the gate frame lies in substantially the same plane as the plane within which is located the pivotal axis about which the gate frame swings and the point Where the upper portion of the chain 17 is attached to the pivot post 11. It will be seen that as the gate frame is swung either clockwise or counterclockwise from this central position, as the length of the chain 17 between the lug 16 and the bolt 18 remains the same and as the point where the upper portion of the chain is attached by the bolt 18 to the pivot post 11 is eccentric of the pivotal axis about which the frame swings, the gate frame must rise vertically somewhat from position. Accordingly, after the gate frame has been swung to an open position the collars 15 will have raised somewhat on the pivot post 11 and as the limit of the swing is reached gravity acts to tend to return the gate frame to its original central position between the two posts 10 and 11. Accordingly, the gate frame will return by gravity to its closed or central position, this closing movement being accomplished without the use of counterbalancing weight.

its lowered central- It should be stated that the point of connection of the lower end ofth'e chain 17'to the gate'nameis alarmistive to the weight of the gate frame and the parts carried thereby that the suspension of the. gate frameby. the chain 17 and by the two collars will midwife: the. greatest freedom. of swinging movement of, the. ateframevwithont a tendency for either collar TS/to bind. undulyjon the pivot post 11. i j Intermediate the two ends oi the gate frame two pair of spaced'veitical bars l9. are secured to thetop andibpt torn horizontal bars 12.10 extend thercbetWeenQ Thetwo bars forming thev pair at the left o f the longitudinal central portion of the gate. frame are secured. one at-eithen side of-the two bars 12,.while the/other twobars 19 forlming the. pair located to the right of the longitudinal central portion ofthe frame are similarly secured. Accordijngli, thebars at the same side of the gate frame in the two pairsoppose each. other in longitudinally spaced relation, while similarly the bars at the. opposite side of the. frame oppose each other in longitudinally spaced relation. Intermediate the top andbottom bars there is provided a central. horizontalv bar 29 which extends between and is secured to the tour vertical bars 19, the ends of the bar 26 being located between. the individual bars l9v of the two pair.. 'l-hisbar 20 at its right end. carries. an apertured upstanding lug, 21 which is in-aiignment horizontally with an opening 14a provided in. theivertical. oar 1'4. is slidably received within. the. opening in the lug 21 and in the openingv 14a and the right. end of this latching rod is pr'ojectable laterally of the right hand-vert-ical bar 14 of the gate frame and it is. alsoretractabie within the outline of the said right hand bar 14. The rod 22 carries a collar 23 to the right of the lug 21 and a heavy coiled spring 24' encircles the rod 22 and bears atone end against the log 21 and at its. other end against the collar 23, thereby normally urging the rod 22 to the right as viewed in the drawings in Figs. 1, the rod normally adjacent the latching post- 10 outwardly from the vertical bar 140f the frame toward the latching post.

Connected by pivots 25 to oppositely disposed lugs 26 welded or. otherwise secured to the top bar 12v of the gate frame and located intermediate the two pair of vertical bars 19 are a pair ofv bumper bars '27; These bumper bars project downwardly from the top bar 12 of the gate frame to points adjacent the lower bar 12 of the frame and bolted or otherwise secured to the lower outer portions. of the bumper bars 27 are strips. 28 formed ofwood or resilient material or other material thatwillnot readily maror injure such parts as the bumper- 0f anautomobileas-the bumper strikes the same. Strap-like guides 29 are secured respectively to the'lower ends of the'respective pairs of vertical bars 19, and the cent-ralportions oi these strap guides. are spaced apart to form guideways. tor the lower. ends of the; two bumper bars 27 to confinedhem for movement transversely of the gate Mounted on a vertical pivot 30 carried by the; bar. 20 a little to the right of the twobumper bars 27 asshown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the drawings is .a lever plate 31 which is horizontally disposed. A pair of links 32 and 33 respectively are pivotally connected at their outer ends to lugs 34 mounted at the inner sides of the two bumper bars 27 respectively, and one ofthese links, as the 'link 32, is located above the level of the other link 33.. The link 32 at its inner end is connected by a pivot 3510 the remote side. portion of one'arm' of the leyer plate 311 from the particular bumper bar 27 to which this 32 is also pivotally connected. Similarly, the other link33 is connected. by a pivot 35a to the. remote side portion. of the same arm of the lever from the particular bumper bar- 27 to which the link 33 is also pivotally connected. Of course, one oftbe links 32' lies above. the lever plate 31, while the other link 33. lies below the lever plate-so that the. two links will not interfere with eachiother. The

A latching rod 22 which is horizontallydisposed 2 and 3 to project the end of position.

' eter of the latch rod opposite arm of thelever plate 31 from that to which the two links 32 and 33 are connected is connected to the inner end of the rod 22 by a double linkage consisting of a pair of link rods 36 and a connection plate 37 mounted on the inner end portion of the latch rod 22 and secured in place thereon by opposed jamb nuts 38. The two link rods project loosely through openings 37a in the attaching plate 37 and have heads 36a at the outer side of the plate 37 which prevent the two link rods from being drawn completely through the openings 37a in an inward direction. The inner end portions 36b of the link rods 36 are bent first upwardly to form pivots extending through openings 31a in the lever late 31 and they are then bent inwardly above the lever plate to retain. them in position. The two openings 31:: in the lever plate through which the link rods 36extend are formed in the arm or" the lever plate opposite that to which the links 32 and 33 are pivotally connected, and these openings are located one adjacent each side edge of the said arrn,

There is shown as being secured to the latch post 10 a latch keeper which is designated as an entirety by the letter B, this keeper being best shown in Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings. The said keeper includes a plate 39 which may be secured to the latch post ill as by bolts 39 a or by welding, the plate being located so as to project somewhat below and above the level of thelatch rod 22. Secured to the face of the keeper plate 59 facing the gate frame is an inverted V shaped base member 40, the said base member having a flattened top surface 40:: at approximately the level of the lower portion of the latch rod 22. Mounted on pivots 41 attached to the same face of the plate 39 are a pair of keeper arms 42 which project downwardly from the pivots and have outtnrned end portions 42a adapted to normally rest on portion 41a of the base member. When so resting on the said flattened portion the two outturned ends 42a are spaced apart a distance sufiiciently greater than the diam- 22 that if the latch rod is carried against one of the two end portions 42a of one of the keeper arms 42 the lower portion of the other keeper arm maybe swung upwardly to clear the projecting end of the latch rod 22. Attached to the upper portions of the keeper arms 41 are angular handles 43 to the inner ends of which the ends of a light tension spring 44 are connected. While. gravity will normally hold the lower outturned end portions of the keeper arms 42 in position resting on the flattened portion 401: of the base member 40, the spring 44 urges the two keeper arms 42 to this the latch rod 22 when projected outwardly beyond the vertical bar 14 at the swinging end of the gate frame isof suflicient length to be received over the flattened portion 40a of the. base member of the keeper, when the gate frame has been swung to the proper position, to normally be disposed between keeper arms 42. The inclined upper. edges of the base member 40 will guide the latch rod into this position and it will be appreciated preaches its central position it will strike the lower surface of one of the two keeper arms 42, thereby raising that particular keeper arm to allow the projecting end ofthe latch rod to pass below it to the central point shown in Fig. 7. i

The gate frame the vertical bars 13 formed by the horizontal bars 12 and and 14 will have suitable vertical and cross fence wire 45 attached thereto to prevent the penetration of animals through the gate frame. If'desired, upper and lower lines of barbed wire 46 may be strung between the upper and lower end portions of the: two vertical bars 13 and 14. There are fixed to the right hand vertical bars 19 and to the vertical bar 14 at the swinging end of the gate frame at at least two levels U shaped guards 47 which. are employed to prevent the fence wires 45 of catching and tangling with the front portion of a'vehicle the flattened- It will be understood that. the outer end of.

the two outturned ends 42a of'the.

that as the gate frame ap-.

the gate or otherv parts thereof from" as the gate swings relative to the vehicle either on a swinging movement away from the vehicle or toward it. Also carried by the vertical bar 14 at the swinging end of the gate are upper and lower roller brackets 49 which project outwardly at the two sides of the gate and have journaled therein trunnion equipped rollers 50. These rollers 50 are located outwardly from the guards 47 and are for the purpose of permitting the swinging end portion of the gate to roll freely over such a part as a bumper of an automobile or the like.

The gate having been mounted as described between a pivot post 11 and a latch post in a fence line, the gate, of course, will normally extend in a central position bridging the space between the two posts, the projecting outer end of the latch rod 22 being received between the two outturned ends 42a of the keeper arms 42 so that the gate will be locked to prevent livestock from passing through the opening in the fence line. When it is desired to drive a vehicle such as the automobile A through the fence line the automobile is driven directly against the central portion of the gate, whereupon the forward portion of the vehicle, usually the bumper, will strike the particular bumper bar 27 at the particular side of the gate toward which the vehicle approaches. As one of the bumper bars 27 is struck and bumped by the vehicle, the lower portion of this bumper bar will be swung inwardly relative to the gate frame, whereby through whichever one of the two links 32 or 33 is connected to that particular bumper bar the lever plate 31 will be swung and one of the two link rods 36 will be swung inwardly as from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Thereby, the latch rod 22 will be slidinwardly to retract the portion of the same projecting beyond the vertical bar 49 inwardly to withdraw it from between the two projecting end portions 42a of the two keeper arms 42. This releases the latch rod from the keeper and permits the gate to freely swing open in the direction of travel of the vehicle. While the gate is swung to a wide open position the vehicle is driven through the opening in the fence line between the two posts 10 and 11 beyond a point which will clear the gate during its return swing. The gate will be swung back by gravity to its central position bridging the two posts 11 and 10 as has been previously described, and as the gate swings back the latch rod which has returned to its original projected position will be engaged between the two keeper arms 42 as has been previously described, thereby relatching the gate. The spring 24 is heavy enough so that even if a cow or horse should strike one of the bump bars 27 the gate will not be unlatched. It will take quite a sharp blow from the vehicle to produce the unlatching action.

It should be noted that due to the cross connection of the two links 32 and 33 to opposite portions of the lever arm of the lever plate 31 the lever plate will be given a considerable arcuate movement as one of the bumper bars 27 is actuated without throwing the various pivots connecting the links to the bumper bars and to the lever plate greatly out of alignment.

After one or two experiences in connection with the gate the driver of the vehicle will soon learn at what speed he should drive his vehicle in order to unlatch the vehicle on the gate if for any reason the gate is not swung open violently enough to prevent portions of the forward end of the vehicle from brushing against the gate after one of the bumper bars 27 has first been struck.

For pedestrian use of the gate, it is desirable that it be possible to open the gate without actuating one of the two bumper bars 27. The latching mechanism can be disengaged readily by a pedestrian by the pedestrians grasping one of the two handles 43 and swinging the handle downwardly, thereby swinging the lower portion of one of the keeper arms 42 upwardly, whereupon the gate may be pushed open.

Thus it can be seen that we have provided a novel and improved swinging gate, the mounting structure for which is extremely simple in both construction and operation. The closing action of the gate, because of the novel mounting structure, is automatic. The suspension structure itself is the utmost in simplicity and elficiency. An absolute minimum number of parts is required and these parts are of a nature which can be manufactured very cheaply so that the entire cost of the mounting structure is negligible. In addition, the suspension structure functions with a minimum of wear and a maximum in efficiency.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A swinging gate for closing the space between a pivot post and a latching post comprising a gate frame having a pivot end and a swinging end, means for pivotally and vertically slidably mounting said gate frame directly about its pivot point for swinging movement as well as vertical movement during opening and closing gate frame and extending along a straight line longitudinally of the gate frame directly over the same and having a lower end attached to the said gate frame in spaced relation from the said pivot post, the upper end of said it will swing back by gravity to its original and lower position.

2. A swinging gate adapted to extend between a hanging post and a latching post and comprising a gate frame having a pivot end and a free swinging end,

upper pivot end of the frame, the upper end of said flexible supporting member being fixed and being spaced from the said pivot point of the frame a distance in the plane of the gate frame substantially less than the distance the lower end the said pivot point, said engaging member companion to said latch, for mounting the latch engaging member on said latching post.

4. A swinging gate for closing the space between a pivot post and a latching post comprising a gate frame having a pivot end and a swinging end, means for pivotally and vertically slidably mounting said gate frame directly about its pivot point for swinging; movement as well as vertical movement "during opening "and; closing move ments of the gate; and'a single flexible supportingmember constituting the sole vertical support for said gate frame and extending along a straight line longitudinally of the gate frame directly over the same and'havinga lower end attached to the said gate frame in spaced relation from the said pivot post, the upper 'end' of said flexible supporting member being fixed and being spaced inwardly toward the swinging end of said frame relative to the pivot point of said frame and pivoting about a point immediately adjacent to said pivot point and between the'swinging end of said gate frame and the pivot point thereof and whereby as the gate frame is swung from a position at rest between the two posts it will be raised and when permitted it will swing back by gravity to its "original and lower position.

5. A" swinging gate for closing the space between a pivot post and a latching post comprising a gate frame having a pivot end'and a swinging end, means for pivotally and vertically slidably' mounting said gate frame directly about its pivot point for swinging movement as well as vertical movement during'opening and closing movements of the gate; and a single flexible supporting member constituting the sole vertical support forsaid gate frame and having a lower end attached to the said gate frame in spaced relation from the said pivot post, the upper end of said flexible supporting member being fixed and being spaced wardly toward the swinging end' of saidframe relative to the pivot point of the frame and being disposed at all times in the plane of said gate frame when the same is in closed position'and pivoting about apoint located in the plane of said gate frame when the same is in closed position and between the swinging endof said gate frame andthe pivot point thereof whereby as the gate frame is swungfrom a position at rest between the'twoposts it will be raised and when permitted will swingback by gravity to its original and lower position.

6. A swinging gate for closing the space between a pivot post and a; latching; post comprising a gate frame having a pivot end and a swinging end, means for pivotaliyand vertically slidably mounting said gate frame directly about its pivot point for swinging movement. as well as vertical movement during opening and closing movements of the'gate,'and a single flexible supporting member constituting the sole vertical support for said gate frame and disposed over the gate frame longitudinally thereof in theplane of said gate frame and having a lower end attached to the said gate frame; in spaced relation from the pivot post,

7 the upper'end ofsaid' flexible supporting member being fixed and being spaced inwardly toward the swinging end of said frame relative to the pivot point of the frame and pivoting about a point eccentrically disposed towardthe' swinging'end of said frame relative to' the pivot point of said frame and in the plane of said frame when the latter is in closed position whereby as the gateframe is swung from'a position at rest between, thetwo posts it will be raised and when permitted it will,

swing back by gravity to its original" and lower position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 402,501' Ball Apr. 1889 1359;764 Somers Nov. 23, 1920 1,802,599 Gross Apr. 28, 1931 2,062,738 Bigler Dec. 1, 1936 

